This chapter is brought to you by Lilyj, thanks for the ko-fi! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･
President 13
Tang Xi felt it was necessary to improve Shen Chensi’s image in Ye Qian’s mind. “Why are you skipping class? Can you stop skipping class? If you don’t understand something, you can ask Classmate Ye to tutor you—he’s really good at it.” He deliberately emphasized the last part.
A subtle hint.
However, Shen Chensi’s attention was completely focused on the first part, and his ears turned slightly red. “Why are you acting cute again?”
Again? Acting cute?
Tang Xi: ? I think there’s something wrong with you.
“I’ll pick you up during P.E. class.”
Shen Chensi dropped this sentence and ran off.
Ye Qian frowned as he watched him. “You can’t go with him.”
Tang Xi obediently nodded.
Skipping class was obviously a bad thing—he at least knew that much.
But Ye Qian’s frown didn’t ease. In his eyes, Tang Xi was just a clueless kid, and Shen Chensi could easily take him away by force.
He decided that he would stick to his deskmate like glue during P.E. class.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. During P.E. class, Ye Qian was called away by the teacher for a competition-related matter, so he had no choice but to leave.
He didn’t even have time to remind Tang Xi not to skip class.
The P.E. teacher arrived late, only showing up after the students had already lined up. After taking attendance, he pointed to the track. “Run two laps first.”
“Huh? Again?”
Even though running was a regular part of every P.E. class, some students still couldn’t help but complain. But under the teacher’s sharp gaze—one that made even the weakest students feel like scrawny chicks—they had no choice but to start running.
This was Tang Xi’s first time running laps on the track. Despite his soft and easy-to-bully appearance, he was surprisingly athletic.
Living up to his cat-like nature, he effortlessly ran to the front of the group. The clean and refreshing-looking boy moved lightly as he led the run, becoming a striking sight in many people’s eyes.
The P.E. class representative let out a breath, picked up his pace, and ran up beside him. With a silly grin, he asked, “Do you want to play basketball later?”
Tang Xi had always been interested in round, ball-like objects, but he didn’t like sports like basketball or soccer, where people fought over the ball.
Because he couldn’t stop himself from hugging the ball and refusing to let go.
Not wanting to embarrass himself, Tang Xi answered honestly, “I don’t know how to play.”
“I can teach you!” Chen Ruili said enthusiastically, his excitement resembling that of a big puppy.
“No, thank you.” But Tang Xi still refused.
Chen Ruili’s disappointment was visible to the naked eye—it was as if an invisible tail that had been wagging behind him suddenly drooped.
Seeing this, Tang Xi felt a little guilty. “Sorry.”
“N-No, it’s okay! You don’t have to apologize.” Chen Ruili wanted to invite Tang Xi to watch him play basketball later, but after opening and closing his mouth a few times, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Once everyone had finished running and lined up again, the P.E. teacher idly played with the whistle in his hand and said, “Alright, you’re free to do whatever now. Just don’t go back to the classroom—stay on the field and move around.”
“Yay—!”
The students immediately scattered in all directions.
Tang Xi watched as a group of girls held hands and ran toward the snack shop. They invited him to come along, but since he was low on money, he had to decline.
He felt a little envious.
[1551, in the next world, I want to be rich. I want to buy my own snacks.]
1551 had just won a game and was in a great mood: [Sure.]
[Really?] The little cat perked up with excitement.
1551 glanced at the upcoming arrangements and suddenly felt a little guilty: [Of course.]
But Tang Xi was too busy celebrating to notice 1551’s hesitation. He was already imagining how he would spend money once he had a human identity in the next world.
Before he could figure it out, he was interrupted.
Shen Chensi had actually come looking for him as promised. With a teasing smirk, he said, “Why do I see someone standing here grinning like an idiot the moment I step onto the field?”
Tang Xi shot him an annoyed look. His fair cheeks were still tinged with an adorable pink from the earlier exercise. “I was not grinning like an idiot! And I’m not skipping class with you!”
“Oh? Are you sure you don’t even want to hear where I’m taking you?” Shen Chensi chuckled, reaching out as if to poke his soft-looking cheek.
“I’m sure!” Tang Xi dodged his hand with firm determination.
Shen Chensi wasn’t upset about missing his chance to poke him. Instead, he stared at Tang Xi’s delicate little face with great interest and then casually handed him something.
“What’s this?” Tang Xi had resolved to ignore him, but his natural feline curiosity got the best of him, and he couldn’t help but take it.
It was a flyer—a promotional flyer for a dessert shop.
The macarons and cakes on it looked delicate and exquisite.
Shen Chensi rested his fist against his lips and said, “This dessert shop belongs to a friend of mine. Today is the grand opening, and there’s a discount if two people go together.”
In other words, he was inviting Tang Xi to go with him.
Tang Xi couldn’t take his eyes off the desserts on the flyer, but he still instinctively asked, “So… are you going with Ye Qian?”
“What does he have to do with this?” Shen Chensi frowned. “Didn’t I say I was taking you to skip class?”
His tone wasn’t exactly friendly. Tang Xi reluctantly pulled his gaze away from the flyer, sensing that he might have annoyed this school bully.
“But I’m waiting for Chen Ruili,” Tang Xi said as he handed the flyer back.
Chen Ruili had been called away by the P.E. teacher earlier and had asked Tang Xi to wait for him before he left, so he was obediently staying put.
Little did he know that, in the eyes of others, he looked like an abandoned kitten standing all alone in the middle of the vast playground.
Shen Chensi had played basketball with Chen Ruili several times before. After glancing around and not seeing him, he casually said, “If you’re waiting for the P.E. class rep, don’t bother. I ran into him earlier, and he told me he had something to take care of. He said not to wait for him.”
Shen Chensi always had a carefree attitude, but when he stared at someone seriously, it was surprisingly convincing.
Tang Xi was completely fooled.
He even knows that Chen Ruili is the P.E. class rep… He’s probably not lying, right?
Ye Qian had also been called away during P.E. class. It seemed like everyone was pretty busy today.
Hmm… Those desserts really do look delicious…
Seeing Tang Xi waver, Shen Chensi pressed harder. “If you agree quickly, we’ll be back before class ends. Every dessert in that shop is even better than the strawberry cake you had last time.”
That last sentence completely won Tang Xi over. “Alright… But let’s go quickly and come back fast!”
Shen Chensi walked ahead, leading the way, his lips curled into an uncontrollable smirk—like a wolf in disguise, successfully tricking Little Red Riding Hood.
He didn’t dare turn around, afraid that Tang Xi would catch him smiling.
There was a slight hiccup when they climbed over the wall. Shen Chensi had already positioned himself on the other side, arms outstretched, ready to catch him. “Just jump, I’ll catch you.”
If someone had told him a few days ago that he’d be offering to princess-carry another guy, he would’ve punched them in the face without hesitation.
Now, even he didn’t realize how eager he looked.
But Tang Xi didn’t close his eyes and nervously leap down as he had hoped. Instead, like a cat, he landed lightly and effortlessly, his feet barely making a sound.
Not being able to catch him left Shen Chensi visibly disappointed—his smirk instantly faded.
His luxury car was parked just outside the school. As they walked over, some people were already taking pictures of it.
The bright red sports car was flashy and eye-catching.
He expected Tang Xi to react like everyone else—maybe let out a gasp of amazement.
But Tang Xi didn’t care about cars. The only thing he noticed was that this car didn’t look as comfortable as He Wang’s. His focus was completely elsewhere.
“Do you even have a driver’s license?”
Shen Chensi froze, his hand still on the car door handle. “Huh? That’s what you’re asking me?”
From his investigation, Tang Xi’s identity was a fake one fabricated by the system to facilitate his transfer.
Orphaned. Living with an uncle who relied on social welfare.
He had assumed that someone like this would be easy to impress. But aside from food, Tang Xi truly didn’t seem to care about anything else.
Thinking Shen Chensi hadn’t heard him, Tang Xi repeated, “Do you have a license?”
“…Yeah, I got it last month.” After a brief moment of stunned silence, Shen Chensi’s expression shifted—his interest in Tang Xi deepening. His usual careless attitude faded just a little.
Hearing that he had a license, Tang Xi finally relaxed and got into the passenger seat. He didn’t glance around curiously, nor did he admire the car’s interior. He simply lowered his head and focused on buckling his seatbelt.
With a car, they reached the dessert shop in no time. The store was newly decorated, and bouquets of fresh flowers filled the space, celebrating its grand opening.
The owner was another rich second-generation kid from Shen Chensi’s circle, opening the shop just to impress the girl he liked. When he saw Shen Chensi walk in with an adorable boy, he immediately started teasing him.
Only after receiving a warning glare from Shen Chensi did he pretend to behave and hand over the menu—though he still made sure to wink at him while they were ordering.
Tang Xi didn’t notice any of this. He was completely captivated by the sweet aroma filling the shop, his little nose twitching nonstop.
They ended up ordering one of every dessert on the menu—and almost all of it went into Tang Xi’s stomach.
He looked slender, but when he ate, he didn’t hold back at all.
And since most of the desserts were small and delicate, he finally had the chance to eat to his heart’s content.
. . . . .
The incident happened when they were on their way back to school.
Shen Chensi had deliberately parked the car a bit farther away, planning to walk back with Tang Xi.
Then, halfway there, they were stopped.
A gang of more than ten thugs, their hair dyed in various gaudy colors, surrounded them and blocked their path.
Tang Xi was dumbfounded. He frantically poked at the system: [Isn’t this the scene where the original protagonist gong gets ambushed and then Ye Qian accidentally saves him?]
1551 was also stunned. That event was supposed to happen two days later.
But apparently, Tang Xi’s little butterfly wings had flapped hard enough to push the timeline forward.
Even in this moment of crisis, Tang Xi remained dedicated to his mission: [What’s Ye Qian doing right now? Can he come over?]
1551: [He’s in the office talking to a teacher—how could he possibly show up out of nowhere?!]
While Tang Xi and the system were still panicking, Shen Chensi had already stepped in front of him protectively.
“If you’re here to settle things with me, leave other people out of it. Let my classmate go first.”
Tang Xi looked up at Shen Chensi, his eyes teary with gratitude.
I was wrong about you. You’re not a bad guy at all. You’re a righteous, big-hearted person.
Unfortunately, the gangsters didn’t care about any of that. The moment Tang Xi lifted his head, revealing his delicate and beautiful face, the leader—a yellow-haired thug—took a sharp breath and decided he really wasn’t letting him go.
“Damn, you’re pretty. Why don’t you stay and have some fun with us?” His gaze was sleazy, lingering on the slender curve of Tang Xi’s waist.
Shen Chensi wasn’t some clueless, naive kid. His temper flared instantly as he rolled up his sleeves.
“Oh, you’re dead. If I don’t break your damn legs today, I’m not Shen anymore.”
Tang Xi shivered behind him: [I thought his background was really powerful? Why are people still daring to pick a fight with him?]
1551: [No matter how powerful he is, right now he’s still not as scary as the actual villains. Besides, these are just low-level punks he’s clashed with before. They have no idea what kind of connections he has.]
And knowing Shen Chensi’s pride, there was no way he’d bring up his family background to intimidate them.
No one knew who threw the first punch, but in less than thirty seconds, the scene had descended into chaos.
Tang Xi had no weapon, so all he could do was shove away anyone trying to land a sneak attack.
He always looked soft and easy to bully, but in situations like this, fear didn’t make him run—it made him stand his ground.
Shen Chensi, while throwing punches, yelled in frustration, “Why aren’t you running?!”
Just as he shouted, a fist landed squarely on his face.
The thugs had originally just wanted to rough him up a little, but Shen Chensi had snapped the moment yellow-haired man made that disgusting remark earlier. Now, he was only focused on beating him to a pulp, deliberately aiming for the most painful spots.
Seeing their leader’s nose bleeding all over the place, one of the gangsters panicked and smashed a beer bottle over Shen Chensi’s head.
Shen Chensi froze for a second but still swung his raised fist down hard. Warm blood trickled down his forehead.
“Stop the car.”
Inside a sleek black Maybach parked nearby, a man flicked the ash off his cigarette, watching the scene through the smoke-filled air.
He had originally just wanted to send someone to break up the fight.
But the moment he locked eyes with the delicate, frightened-looking boy in the crowd, he changed his mind.
He stubbed out his cigarette, rubbing his fingers over the crushed filter.
His previously calm, indifferent gaze now carried an unexplainable ripple.
He Wang had taken an interest.
These eyes… they really look like that disobedient little kitten at home.